Paul C. Smith died at his home in August 2024, in Philadelphia. Born in 1934, he received his undergraduate degree in Romance Languages at the University of Pennsylvania in 1956, his MA from Middlebury College, and his doctorate from UC Berkeley in 1964. He was a professor of Spanish at UCLA until his retirement in 2000. His research and publications centered on the Valencian writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. He was a founder in the 1990s of the department’s Granada Summer Travel Study Program, which every year offers up to 160 students the opportunity to study and travel in Spain.
Dr. Smith was also known for his philanthropy. He funded a yearly conference at Middlebury College and he established the Paul C. Smith Endowed Fund at the University of Pennsylvania to support acquisitions in the field of Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian studies. In 2006 he donated his collection of books, including many first editions and rarities, to the Van-Pelt Dietrich Library Center. Paul also included the Penn Libraries in his estate planning.
For years, Dr. Smith volunteered teaching Spanish courses at OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) at Temple University. He was scheduled to teach Portuguese for Spanish speakers this fall.
Paul is survived by his brother Michael, of Doylestown, and stepchildren Rafael and Inma of Valencia, Spain. His wife Manena Benítez preceded him in death as well as stepson, Jaime.